Falling For You
by secret.escape
Summary: The powerful and beautiful Bella Swan owns Edward's future in her hands. Edward, the poor and sensitive boy who secretly seeks for attention, finds love and comfort where he never thought he would. AH AU
1. Chapter 1

Thank you, **Sara**, for beta-ing my story.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Yet.**

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**Fresh Start**

_Hi, I'm Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. I'm poor and I desperately need money so I can help my mom._ Ugh, no. Why does this have to be so hard?

I was sitting on the porch of Miss Isabella Swan's house, with a newspaper in my hands. Next to me were my fellows, a pen and a small colored notebook. They, along with my brain, would decide my future. I had been sitting here for at least an hour now, and all I had done so far was write and scribble, write and scribble, non-stop.

'Let's give this one more try.' I muttered to myself.

'Dear Miss Isabella Swan,

I am writing to apply for the position of maid advertised in yesterday's edition of _The Seattle Times._

My name is Edward Anthony Masen Cullen and I am 25 years old. I am currently unemployed. I have the 12th grade education, but couldn't go any farther due to personal reasons. I have worked as a maid in several malls and shops.

I am responsible, punctual and hard-working.

I am prepared to work any hours and I'm available for an interview at any time.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

(Edward Anthony Masen Cullen)

I re-read the letter to make sure it was properly written even in my messy handwriting. I knew how to write application letters because of my previous jobs. I knew the possibility of getting this job was minimal, but I had to try...for my mom's sake.

I had been unemployed for over two weeks now and I had bills and loans to pay and medicine for both me and my mom to buy. I was in a desperate need for a job.

I looked down at the black and white watch that was tightly tied with a string to my wrist. I loved my watch because it reminded me of my happy childhood. Although, it was old and overused I kept using it. It was still working, after all.

4:06 PM_, _it read. I had to go before Miss Swan came back home.

I wrapped the letter in the envelope and quickly wrote my address, pretending it had been sent using the mail. I let it slide on the little opening that was on the mailbox.

I took a few steps back and looked at the beautiful house in front of me.

_This is the house I'__ve always imagined to live in, _I thought to myself.

It was a two-story house. It had four wide windows and a balcony on the ground floor. The house itself was painted in beige, the roof was ocean blue. It was surrounded by two big trees and a few shrubs in the front of the house. There was also a small garden that smelled like fresh grass. I could only imagine what the inside looked like.

Suddenly, I was startled by the sound of a horn and I quickly walked away from Miss Swan's house, neither looking at the car or the person who had startled me.

When I got home I was really tired, not only because I had just walked three miles but also because this day had been both mentally and physically exhausting.

As soon as I had put my things away, I went to take a shower. I usually took 5 minute showers but I decided to take my time and relax. After I got out of the shower, I put my pajama bottoms on and an old Kurt Cobain T-shirt that had belonged to my father.

I was starving and it was past dinner, so I decided to see if I had any leftovers in the fridge. There weren't, so I made myself a sandwich with the last ham and cheese slices.

I sat on the couch, eating, and decided to call my mom. The number was on speed dial so it was fast to get a response on the line.

"Good evening. I'm Edward Cullen and I'd like to call room 585 to talk to Esme Cullen, please. " I knew her room number by heart. I call her every single day, at the same time.

"Sure, give me a minute, please." answered the woman in a monotone voice.

"Edward? Hello!" My mom greeted me in a semi-shriek. It wasn't really a shriek, since she was tired and sick.

"Hello, Mom. How are you feeling today?" I asked. I always wanted to know how she was feeling coming from her mouth, even though I always talked to a nurse or a doctor, because I knew she tried to diminish her feelings so I wouldn't have to worry about her.

"I'm good. They ran a few tests today, but I won't find out the results until Thursday. Don't worry about anything though, son. I'm good, so worry about you and your life. Now, I demand to know how my favorite son is."

"Mom, firstly, I'm your only son; therefore, of course, I'm your favorite. Second, I'm good. I applied for this new job today. It's to work as a maid in the house of this woman. I'm hoping to have an interview with her soon. I think this job would be really helpful. I still don't know about the salary, though." I always told my mom everything; I didn't want to keep secrets from her.

"That's wonderful news, Edward!" I could feel my mom's smile through her words.

"Calm down, mom! I don't even know if I'm getting the job or not yet." I tried not to sound too harsh while saying this.

"I know, but this could be the beginning of a good life for you!" She said, yawning.

"Mom, it's getting late and you're tired. I love you. Sleep tight."- I really felt like crying now.

"I'm sorry. I wish we could talk more, sweetie. I love you. I can't wait to see you on Sunday. Good night."

I hung up the phone and went to bed. As I lay down, I couldn't help but let the tears fall that had been threatening to fall during my conversation with my mom, on the phone. My mom was my life. She was the only person that really knew me inside and out, my shoulder to cry on, my only friend, and I would do everything in my power to help her. No matter at what cost, I'd help her live through this.

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**What did you think about this first chapter? (:**


	2. The Day That Changed Your Life

**AN:** I'm sorry this chapter is coming kinda late, but I've had a busy week/weekend.

Without **You May Call me Goddess- Bitch Goddess**, who's my Beta in case you didn't know yet, this chapter would totally suck.

I'm gonna try to make the next chapter way longer than this one, but I can't promise anything.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight, but Edward is hot.

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**BPOV**

"Rosalie?" I called from my office. Where the hell was Rosalie when I needed her most?

I rose from my seat and went to look for her. It was hard to find her because of the mess that was going on at the building. There were desks in the halls, piles of papers everywhere, people walking around looking for things they had lost. The first, second, third and fourth floors had been unavailable for almost two months now because Mrs. Greene wanted to redecorate the whole building in order to celebrate the magazine's 10th anniversary. I didn't want my office to be redecorated, but I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"There you are! I need you to do something for me, Rose." I grabbed her hand and pulled her to my office. Rosalie was my assistant. She and I have known each other since kindergarten; we grew up together, our fathers are still best friends. When we were ten, we promised each other we would work for a magazine when we were older. Most of the editors here weren't close to their assistants, but me and Rosalie, we worked together. I needed her and always asked her opinion on pieces.

"I need you to print these documents and send them to Mrs. Greene, please. She told me she had **—**" I was suddenly interrupted by Alice's annoying voice.

"Could you please be quiet? I'm trying to work here." Ever since the redecorations had started, Alice's office was inaccessible. Unfortunately, I was now sharing my office with Alice, another of the magazine's editors, just like me. My relationship with Alice was… awkward. Alice annoyed the fuck out of me. She always demanded the best for her and was always trying to get in my way. I hate her and she knows it, just as much as I know she hates me. We don't talk often and only do when absolutely necessary.

Like the lady I am, I ignored her.

"As I was saying, Mrs. Greene told me she urgently needs these documents, so could you please send them before lunch time?" I gave her the drive pen which she put in her back pocket.

"Yeah, but she's not here today; I heard she's out of town or something. Should I maybe send them to her e-mail?"

"I know that however, she specifically told me she wanted the documents delivered to her house. I have no idea why, though."

"Oh, I honestly don't understand that woman. What are the documents about, anyway?"

"I have no idea. She just told me to write a letter to the Mayor telling him about this project that some eighth graders are doing at school in order to get donations for Cancer. I don't know what the documents are about, though. Mr. Burns, the caretaker, gave me them, just when I was entering the building this morning. When I checked my email, I had one from Mrs. Greene telling me not to open them."

"Okay. I'll be right back." She gave me a hug and left.

The rest of my morning consisted of editing articles and sending them to the director. The hours seemed to drag slower than a turtle walking with Alice singing. Just as I was about to tell Alice to shut up, my phone vibrated; it was Rosalie.

_Do you feel like having Macca's for lunch? _ The text read.

I quickly replied, _Okay. Where are you at?_

_I'm at the post office. I'll meet you at MacDonald's in 15 minutes, k? _

_Sure. See y__a_

"I'm going to have lunch now. Make sure you lock the doors before you leave." I didn't even bother waiting for Alice's reply.

"Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting for you, here, for 20 minutes!" I said as Rosalie walked into the restaurant; she will be the death of me. She just told me to fuck off and hugged me. We went to make orders in silence. I knew she was hiding something from me, but I wouldn't push her to tell me.

"Alice is really getting on my nerves. She's annoying and bitchy. " I said, trying to make conversation while we were eating.

"Thank God you've finally realized that. I don't bother talking to her anymore, now." _And you think I do?_

"Yeah, but you don't have to work with her! I have to look at her damn face every day." I was trying to keep my voice low and was failing.

"Tell her to fuck off when she annoys you."

"So that I lose my job? No, thanks. I'll just ignore her." I wouldn't give her that satisfaction.

"Okay. Oh, my God, I forgot I have something to tell you!" Rose half yelled. I moved closer so she wouldn't be so loud.

"So… I ran into Emmett this morning! I was leaving the post office and I saw him! He came over and said hi, he was really nice."

I knew it had something to do with Emmett. She's falling for him. "I guess he's the reason why you were so late for lunch."

"Maybe."

I knew she was about to burst telling me every single detail. "What did he say to you? Was he alone? Tell me everything!" I begged excitedly.

For the next half an hour she told me every single detail from how Emmett's jeans hung so well on his hips and how his t-shirt made him look sexier than ever to the way he had hugged her before leaving. I was really happy for Rose. She had been through so much in her life. She needed a break from bad luck.

"Is Emmett still volunteering at the hospital?"

"He didn't say anything about it, but yeah, I think so."

"That's really nice of him to help all those people and asking for nothing in return. Are you ready to go? " She nodded, so I got up and put my coat on.

As we were walking back to work, Rose asked me if I had found a maid yet.

"No, I haven't. I've only put the ad up yesterday, though." I answered. Ever since Jacob, my nephew, started spending his weekends with me, the house was messier. I used to spend Saturdays tidying the house, but now, I could only manage to tidy the house while Jake was taking a nap, which usually lasted 45 minutes to an hour.

"Oh, right." By now, we were already inside the building. It was 1:45 PM. I still had until 3:30 PM for my work day to be over.

By the time I got to my office, Alice was gone. Thank God. Just as I was about to sit down and check my email, the phone rang It was Mrs. Greene; she wanted someone to write an article on cancer patients. I told her I'd ask Rosalie to do some research and then I'd do it. Then she started talking not only about how messy everything was at the building, but also complaining about some people who didn't like to work. I just stood there agreeing with her and giving my opinion at times. Mrs. Greene was really nice, but she was a very tiring person. It was around 2:50 PM when the conversation finally ended.

I decided to leave the office earlier since I didn't have any more work to do, for the day.

I had just started the car when my phone started ringing. I stopped the car and checked the ID before answering.

"Hello? Dad?" I asked worriedly. Charlie didn't usually call me in the middle of the afternoon, unless he had an important reason.

"Hi Bells. I'm good, thanks for asking." Oh Dad, why are you so sarcastic?

"Is everything alright, Dad? Why are you calling me in the middle of the afternoon?"

"Relax, Bella. Everything is great. Are you ready to be with Jake, tomorrow_?" _

What? Is it Friday already? "Dad, it's Thursday, but if you need him to stay here until Monday, it's fine." I offered.

_"_Yeah, I know. It's just that Harry invited me to go fishing with him and we haven't been together in so long…" He trailed off.

"That's great news, Dad! Go and have fun. You deserve a break. What about Jacob's school, though? Have you talked to his teacher yet?

_"_Yeah, Miss Granger gave him extra homework."He said.

I chuckled. "Good. What time are you going to be here, tomorrow?"

"Is ten fine for you?"

I sighed. Thankfully, I didn't work on Friday mornings. "Yeah, sure, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow then, okay? I love you."

"See ya, Bells." And then he hung up.

I was really happy to spend one extra day with Jacob, but that meant that I had an eventful weekend ahead of me.

I was just pulling up at my driveway when I saw someone staring at my house! I honked and the person quickly walked away. As I pulled my sunglasses up, I looked at the young man who had been staring at my house. Why the hell had he been staring at my house?

After pulling my car in the driveway, I opened my mailbox and grabbed the letters that were inside. I noticed that four of the six letters were different from the rest of the pile: plain white envelopes, my address and the return address handwritten on them, and stamps in the corners; application letters, most likely.

As soon as I was inside and comfortably seated on the couch, I decided to start reading the letters.

"Let's get this show on the road." I murmured to myself.

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**AN: **I'm not a review whore, but reviews motivate me and make me write faster.


	3. What to do

**AN**: I'm very sorry for not posting this earlier. The thing is, my computer's charger broke and I had to get it fixed. I'm back, though. The next chapter is almost finished which is good.

**BPOV**

I had been sitting on my small black leather couch for what felt like years. I looked ahead of me- the silver clock beside the television read 4:47 PM. Why was I so anxious, yet so afraid to open the letters?

_They're just letters__, Bella. The people who are actually applying for the job are the ones who should be anxious, not you. You're the boss. _I mentally argued with myself as I picked the first one on the pile.

It was a light blue envelope from a woman called Angela Weber. I opened it and read it. Mrs. Weber was fifty - five years old and she had worked as an assistant, in a kindergarten, for thirty years until she retired. She also enjoyed working with kids. I read her address again and recognized the name of the street. She also enjoyed working with kids. It was two blocks away from my house. I'd never heard of her, though. I folded the letter back in the envelope and moved on to the next one.

The second letter was from Miss Jessica Stanley. Her name wasn't new to me, but I couldn't put a face to her name. I took my time reading the letter. She was twenty -nine years old and had no experience in working with children as she had no children of her own. She also had worked in McDonalds for four years. She hadn't studied further than the twelfth grade due to personal choices and had been unemployed for five years.

That was when I remembered her. She had worked at the grocery store just around the corner, for a couple months as Tanya's substitute because Tanya was on maternity leave. I loved Tanya and Jessica was her polar opposite. She wasn't nice, you could even say she was rude most of the time, and she always looked like she was desperate for her shift to end. I heard she was fired not only because of her attitude, but also because she stole cash.

On the one hand, I felt pity for her, because she didn't have many qualifications and was probably poor. On the other hand, I also felt like that was her fault. It was like she was trying to get the job for a limited time- just until she had enough money to buy new clothes - and I needed someone who would be fully committed to the job.

"I don't know what I'm doing" I murmured as I picked my phone up. I had my father's number on speed dial, so it was easy to call him.

He answered on the first ring.

"Bella, honey? Is everything okay?" I could feel the panic in his voice.

He had a reason to panic. I never talked to him more than once, on the phone, every day and the last time I did, it wasn't for a good reason, and it actually was to tell him something that could have changed my life forever.

"Hey, Dad. I'm sorry if I scared you. I need help, Daddy."

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" His voice was so comforting, it already made me feel safe and protected without even having said anything, yet.

"Well, you know I'm looking for a maid, right?"

"Yeah, you told me about it a couple weeks ago….what's wrong, though?" He asked.

"I've just got four application letters and I have only read two letters so far and I'm already confused and nervous and I don't know what I'm doing. What if I don't choose the right person? What will I tell the others? How do I know who I'm going to choose? Oh Daddy, what do I do?" I rambled until I had to stop talking so I could breathe. It wasn't until then that I realized I had been sobbing.

"Calm down, sweetie. You've got to be calm. The first thing you're going to do is read all the letters and then write down your favorite aspects about the applicants. And tomorrow, when I come over, we're going to discuss them, together. Okay?" He was the sweetest dad on Earth.

"Okay. Thank you so much for being so patient with me. I love you, Daddy" I answered.

"I love you, Bells." He replied and hung up.

After drinking a cup of water and calming down, I went back to the living room and started reading the last two letters.

I picked the third letter and started reading it out loud.

"Hello Miss Isabella Swan! I saw your ad in _The Seattle Times_ and thought I should apply for the job.

I am Charlotte Santos and I'm 17 years old. I'm currently in my junior year at Garfield High School. I'm not interested on continuing studying after I finish high school so I want to start working as soon as possible.

I won't be able to work until after 3 PM on weekdays, except during the weekends.

I look forward for your response.

Yours sincerely,

Charlotte Santos"

What the hell? Is this girl serious? This wasn't even an application letter! I wanted to rip the letter apart, but I knew I couldn't do it so I put it aside.

I sighed and moved on to the next letter.

The envelope was green and thick. I took my time reading the letter, pausing and re-reading things when I needed. It was a very interesting and it wasn't only because he was a man!

It was from a Mr. Edward Cullen. He was twenty five years old and he had stopped studying after he finished high school due to, according to him, personal reasons that I was curious about. He had a lot of work experience in the area of cleaning and organizing things, which was good.

I really liked his application letter not only because he seemed like he was serious about this job, but also because he was very honest and articulate about his qualifications and work experiences.

Two things caught my eye, though. One he had been the only one who said he was available for an interview. I had never thought about meeting the applicants in person, but it would be good to actually see them and interact with them before hiring someone. Two, he was the only one who didn't give me a phone number, so I'd have to send him a letter if I wanted to reply.

I looked at the clock. _5:30 PM_, it read. I must have lost the sense of time! Sighing, I put the letters on the coffee table in front of the TV.

I went to the kitchen to start dinner. I wasn't hungry, but I knew I had to eat. I decided to have pizza so I called Pizza Hut. What am I going to do now? They usually took 30 minutes to arrive, so I went to the study to get my note pad so I could start the list of the things I liked about every applicant. Once back in the living room, I picked up the first letter, from Mrs. Angela Weber, and started writing down some good things about her:

Lots of work experience

Enjoys working with kids

Moving on to Miss Jessica Stanley's letter, I couldn't think of any good aspects that she had mentioned in her letter. I had to write something, though.

Has worked in McDonalds, so she probably deals with problems and stress easily.

Miss Charlotte Santos was even harder to write about. She was barely old enough to work, her application letter was weird and too informal, and she was still studying so she couldn't work until after school. Not knowing what to write about her, I wrote down her name and didn't write anything underneath.

Mr. Edward Cullen's letter had a lot to say, unlike the others so I started writing:

Has a lot of work experience

Is available for an interview at any time.

Sounds like he really is serious about getting the job.

Is punctual and hard working.

_Ding Dong__, _I heard the doorbell ring. Thank God the pizza is here! I opened the door and the man gave me the pizza.

"How much is it?" I asked.

"That's §12.99, ma'am."

I gave him the money and closed the door.

Just as I was about to start eating, the doorbell rang. I went to the door only to find Rose yelling on the other side.

"Open the door, woman! It's freezing and I'm hungry!"

"Come on in." I said as I opened the door. "So what are you here for?" I asked, curiously, as I walked back to kitchen. Rosalie usually called me before she came over.

"Nothing special, I just felt like coming over. I was going to call you, but I ran out of battery. Anyway, what did you do this afternoon? " She asked just as she picked the first slice of pizza.

"Remember the ad I put on _The Seattle Times_? I got four application letters today. I spent the afternoon reading them…they were strange." I answered between bites.

"How so?"

"Two of them were normal, but the other two were so weird. They didn't even look like application letters. I'm almost sure I won't hire either of those two. The others seemed nice. One was from a Mrs. Weber and she seemed nice, but I'm not sure about hiring her because she's fifty-five and I don't know if she can do everything I ask her, you know? The other applicant was from young man,-"

I was suddenly interrupted by Rosalie's giggles.

"Oh my God! You're kidding, right? Like a man who wants to work as a maid? Are you sure he wasn't kidding?"

Rose could be so immature some times. She even choked on her pizza from laughing so much. It wasn't even funny!

"No, he actually sounded serious. Plus, what's wrong with him working as a maid? I questioned her.

"Nothing, nothing. He's probably gay, though." she muttered.

"So what if he's gay? Oh, Rose, don't you understand that all I want is someone who can clean my house for me and sometimes babysit Jacob when I want to go out?" I tried to sound mad at her.

"Alright, I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad. Sucker!" I eyed her playfully and she laughed.

We ate the rest of the dinner in comfortable silence. After dinner she helped me do the dishes.

"Hey Rose, I'm sorry but today's been a stressful day and I want to sleep." I was trying to tell her to leave without hurting her feelings or being rude.

"Yeah, sure. I'm tired too. I'll see you tomorrow." She said, hugging me.

After Rosalie left, I went upstairs to my bedroom. I brushed my teeth, put my pajama's on and turned the light off. It wasn't long until I fell asleep.

I woke up at 8:30 AM the following morning really excited about seeing my Dad and spending the weekend with Jake.

Not knowing what to do until they arrived, I went to take a shower. I ate breakfast slowly and took at least thirty minutes to choose my outfit for the day. Just as I was putting my shoes on, the doorbell rang.

"BELLA!" Jake yelled as soon as I opened the door.

I hugged both my Dad and Jacob and motioned for them to come into the living room.

"I've missed you, buddy. How have you been?" I asked Jacob.

"I've been great! I was so excited when I found out I was going to come today!" He was now sitting on my lap.

"I'm glad you're happy to be here. Why don't you go to your bedroom upstairs to play a little while I catch up with grandpa before he leaves?" I suggested and kissed his cheek just before he took off running towards his bedroom.

We sat on the couch in silence, for a few minutes.

"So where are the letters, Bells?" My dad asked.

"Here." I said as I handed him the letters and the notepad.

He took his time reading the letters and the sheet where I had written what I liked about the applicants. After a while, he finally asked me who I thought should be the right person to hire.

"I'm still undecided between Mrs. Weber and Mr. Cullen. I didn't like the other two girls. What's your opinion?" I asked him. His opinion meant everything to me. My dad had always helped me in my toughest moments and I always asked him his opinion on any subject.

"I agree with you. I also think Miss Charlotte Santos's letter was rude in a certain way. I was thinking about Mrs. Angela Weber's situation, though…she's fifty-five. You have to keep it in mind that she might not to be able to do certain things, like cleaning the bathrooms for example. I really liked Mr. Cullen's letter. He sounded professional and I liked it. " _I'm glad we're on the same page, Daddy. _I mentally told him.

"Yeah, I was thinking about having an interview with Mr. Cullen and Mrs. Weber before I decide anything. Because, you know, sometimes people aren't the same when you meet them in person."

"Call me when you decide something okay? I have to get going now, otherwise Harry won't wait for me!"

Dad went upstairs to hug Jake goodbye and then came back downstairs to actually leave.

"I love you, Dad! Call me if you need anything!" I said as I closed the door.

I took off running upstairs just after I yelled his name.

I was such a kid sometimes.

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**AN: **This chapter was slow but Bella is **FINALLY **meeting Edward in the next chapter. This chapter is also longer than the others. I'm making them longer and longer and longer. What did you think of this chapter? **Review or PM me!**


	4. Decisions, Decisions

**AN: Thank you Sara for keeping up with me and my spelling mistakes and distractions.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, only Kristen Stewart (:**

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**BPOV**

I had been playing hide and seek with Jacob for an hour now. Whenever he got tired, we'd stop and talk about 'Real Life' as he called it. When I asked him about school, he told me that he didn't like his friends, because they weren't nice to him; that his teacher, Mrs. Granger was retiring and a new teacher would come, and he didn't want a new teacher. I asked him about how it was like to live with grandpa to try to cheer him up and he said that weekends were his favorite part of the week because grandpa would sit with him and tell him stories or help him with school. But no matter what we talked about, Jacob would always connect it with the I-dislike-my-friends subject. I was about to ask him if he wanted to change schools when something he said caught my attention.

"Aunt Bella?"

That was when I knew something was off. Jacob never called me 'aunt'. He'd only done it once when he was three and wanted to know where his daddy was.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I want to come to live with you. I miss you all the time and you are the best aunt in the world and everything is better here because it makes me feel less sad about not having a daddy and a mommy." He whispered the last words.

"Oh Jake! You know I love very much, don't you?" The moment I spoke these words, I immediately regretted it. Why did I say that to him? Yes, I loved Jacob with all my heart, but did I say it to avoid hurting him by saying no to him coming to live with me?

He nodded. "Please, Bella?" I hated it when he pouted because he looked so adorable and he always got what he wanted when he did that face. However, this time I had to be tough.

What I am going to say to him? Think, Bella. "We have to talk about it with Grandpa. Have you thought about him? He's going to be all alone."

"He can come to live here with us. This way, you'll be able to spend more time with your daddy."

"Okay." I didn't really mean what I'd just said. My daddy was everything to me, but I was a grown woman now. I had a stable job and I wanted to start dating. Plus, my dad was healthy. I had never shared this with anyone because I knew that in other people's eyes, I'd sound like a total bitch and people would probably label me as the worst daughter in the world, but right now, I didn't want to live with my dad at full-time because I wanted my own space. Of course, if he had a health problem and needed someone to take care of him, my house would always be open to him.

I was suddenly pulled out of my train of thoughts by Jacob, he hugged me, and I started tickling him.

"Hey, buddy, I have got some things to do now. Can you stay here and play with your toys? I promise I won't take long!"

He nodded and I left.

When I got downstairs, I went to the living to pick the letters up and then went to my study. I opened Mrs. Weber's letter and dialed her number on the phone.

What am I going to tell her? Hi, I'm Isabella Swan. I read your letter and I want to interview you to make sure you're real? Thankfully, she didn't take long to answer the phone and prevented me from backing up.

"Hello." She had a sweet voice that reminded me of my mother's voice.

"Hello, I am Isabella Swan. I got your letter yesterday, and I would like to interview you." Oh Bella, you suck at talking on the phone! I mentally kicked myself.

"Oh, yes, of course. When and where would you like to do it?" She asked nicely.

"I was thinking about tomorrow at around 2 PM, at my house. You already have the address, so I guess that's everything for now."

"Okay, I will see you tomorrow, then. Thank you for calling!" she said and then she hung up.

I wanted to die. I literally sucked at making phone calls with strangers. I was much better at talking to them directly, or in letters and emails.

I put Jessica Stanley and Charlotte Santos' letters aside, since I wasn't interested in hiring them.

I opened the drawer where I kept some blocks of paper and got a new sheet. I started writing my letter to Edward Cullen.

_Dear Mr. Cullen, _

_First of all, I would like you to know that I am very pleased with your application letter. However, I also got other letters and because I want to be sure of my choice, I would like to interview you. _

_The interview is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 3:30 PM, at my house. _

_If you need anything, please contact me at 034-0895-435._

_Please, call me if you need anything._

_Isabella Swan._

I folded it and put it in a simple white envelope I had on the table.

"Jacob, can you please come downstairs? We're going out!" I yelled out for him.

"Where are we going?"

"I have to go to the post office. Hurry up!" I wasn't in a hurry, but I knew Jacob and he got distracted easily so he always took ages to get ready.

Ten minutes later, I pulled into the post office.

"Can I put the letter in the mailbox?" begged Jake.

"Yeah, of course you can." I remembered being a kid and whenever my dad went to the post office, I always wanted to put the letters in the mailboxes. Or whenever someone knocked on the door, I always ran to open the door, or when the phone rang, I was always the first one to answer it. It was so typical for children to want to do this kind of stuff.

"In which one should I put?"

"In the one that says Urgent mail. It's the blue mailbox." I said, remembering Jacob didn't know how to read yet.

Jacob was really short, so he had to get on his tiptoes to put the letter in the mailbox.

* * *

After a very long car ride with Jacob asking me to have lunch at McDonalds every five seconds, he finally gave up asking when he saw me pulling in my driveway.

"Why can't we have lunch at McDonalds?" He asked sadly.

The real reason I wouldn't take him to McDonalds was because I had been there the day before with Rosalie and I didn't want to get fat. Yes, I could have just taken him and not eaten anything myself, but that wouldn't work for me. McDonalds was too good. But I couldn't tell my five-soon-to-be-six year old nephew that, so I settled for a lame excuse. "You have McDonalds too many times a month."

"What? I only have McDonalds once a month." Had he just yelled at me? Calm down, kiddo.

"You're a liar. Grandpa takes you to McDonalds all the time." I half teased.

"No, he does not! We don't even have a McDonalds in Forks!" He yelled at me. Again.

We were now in the kitchen and I was preparing us a salad for lunch.

"First of all, you can't yell at me like that. You must respect adults. And don't tell me that I'm just your aunt, because that is not an excuse. If you yell one more time, you can forget about coming to live with me." I was being mean and I kind of felt bad about it, but Jacob needed discipline.

I went on, without letting him interrupt me. "And second, there is a McDonalds in Port Angeles. I'm pretty sure he takes you there all the time. Now, end of discussion. Eat. I still have work to do at the magazine today."

* * *

Fridays were usually very relaxing days, not only because I only had to work for an hour and a half, but also because it was the end of the week.

Today was no exception, although I was apprehensive about bringing Jacob to work. I had never brought him to work and even though I knew Jacob was pretty quiet around older people, I didn't want him to befussy. I was wrong. Very wrong, indeed.

We got to the magazine at around 2 PM. I had briefly explained to him how things worked at the magazine during the car ride. He hadn't asked many questions since I hadn't gone into many details. When we got to the magazine, I showed him the most important things, trying to get through the chaos due to the site. I also showed him how to get to the break room and to the bathroom. Inside my office, I presented him to Alice who was surprisingly nice with him.

"Jake, I have to work now. Can you go sit there?" I pointed to the small desk in front of me.

He nodded.

I knew he loved to draw so I gave him some old sheets and crayons so he could make some drawings. I told him to be quiet so he wouldn't bother nor me nor Alice.

What surprised me most wasn't his quietness, though. It was Alice's empathy.

"Bella, I don't have a lot of things to do today, and I'm not inspired to start anything new. Do you mind if I go outside with Jacob for a while? It's sunny and I'm sure he would like to play outside." She asked.

"Yes!" I heard Jake yell from behind Alice.

"Yeah, sure. I mean, if you don't mind." I answered.

Thus, they left. Alice was holding his hand and being nice. And I was gaping at them. After recovering from the shock-attack, I got back to work. I didn't have many things to do, but I decided to start working on some new projects.

* * *

They were back at around 3:15 PM. Jake seemed really happy and so did Alice. Why was she being so nice all of a sudden?

According to Jacob, Alice had taken him to the park in front of the magazine and she let him feed the ducks and the swans. He was telling me that me, him and grandpa should live in the park because of our surnames when Rosalie came in.

"Hello, Jacob! How are you? Oh, my God, you're so big!" She told him excitedly.

Thankfully, Jacob was comfortable enough to be around Rose by himself, so I got a chance to talk to Alice.

"Hey, Alice, do you mind coming outside for a little?" I asked her, nervous.

"Yeah, sure."

"Jake, I have to talk to Alice about something. We'll be right back, okay?"

And for the first time in my life, Jacob ignored me.

_What are you doing Bella? What are you going to say to her? You don't even know her well! It's going to be awkward. You shouldn't have done this. Just make something up about work so that you won't talk to her. Thank her for taking her time to keep Jacob company. Do something. Don't ask her why she's being so nice, though. Don't. Run away. No, I'm not a kid. I've already asked her to come here, I can't back away. Even if she is bitchy, you know how to deal with her. You've been working in the same department as her for a couple years now and you've always been great at dealing with her. _I mentally argued with myself. My brain was working ten thousand miles an hour by now.

"Is there something wrong, Bella?"

"Well, Alice, I don't really know how to say this without sounding like a bitch and I'm sorry if I'm offending you, you know that's not what I mean-" I ranted.

"Tell me. Just get it over with before your brain explodes."

That made me laugh.

"Okay, okay. Can I ask you something, then?"

She nodded and I continued.

"Why were you so nice to my nephew today? I mean, not just to him, you barely know him, but also to me. You were so nice today." You're an idiot, Bella.

"From the moment you stepped in here, I knew I would have to fight you, Bella. I love my job here and I didn't want to lose it. I didn't want competition; I just wanted to be better than you. But soon I realized that I couldn't be better than you without fighting you so I started acting stupid. I woke up today and realized that it's no good for us to be 'enemies' or hate each other. And then you brought Jacob with you to work; and he has the cutest face ever. That's when I decided to do something good for once."

"Thank you, Alice. I am so grateful for today—"I began but she interrupted me.

"No, wait. Let me say this. I've known you for like two years or something and we've never been friends. I don't know why, but I want to change that. I know we might never be like you and Rosalie, but I want us to be able to talk to each other comfortably." She whispered the last words as if she was afraid of my reaction.

And that was when everything clicked. She was being nice because she wanted. She wasn't doing it to make me jealous. She wasn't doing it because we were 'enemies'. She was doing it because it was her way to apologize for every fight we had had in the past; for every argument even if it was about stupid things; for being rude and mean; for trying to make me lose my job. Right there, in that moment, I wanted to hug her and tell her I was sorry over and over for never being friends with her. But I couldn't do that. Not just yet.

So instead, I told her that it was nice of her to do that and that I also wanted to be good friends with her. I didn't tell her I was sorry for being rude to her sometimes because as bad as it was, she had always been the one who hated me from the moment I started working here.

A few moments later, Jacob came out of our office and started bugging me to go home. Once more I thanked Alice; she hugged Jacob and made him promise he would visit more often. And he did it again, for the four thousandth time that day. He told her he was coming to live with me. I had to talk to him. He couldn't go around tell people he was coming to live with me for no reason. Nobody except Rosalie knew my story, which I wasn't willing to share, so they wouldn't understand why Jacob was coming to live with me out of nowhere. I knew he wasn't doing it on purpose in order to pressure me. He was innocent and I knew Jacob. He was genuine and he would never do that.

The ride back home was silent and I only noticed Jacob had fallen asleep when I got out of the car and he didn't. I lifted him up from his chair and took him to his bedroom.

I didn't do much that afternoon. I was exhausted, not having slept well the previous night. I woke Jacob when it was dinnertime and then let him go back to sleep after dinner without complaining, following him up.

* * *

"Wake up. Wake up. Wake up."

What. The. Hell. I had to be dreaming. Oh joy, I wasn't. Whoever was shaking me trying to wake me up was going to be killed.

"What is it, Jacob? Let me alone. It's early and I want to sleep." I murmured leaving my eyes closed.

"No, wake up. I had a nightmare." He cried.

A couple seconds after realizing what he had said, I shot my eyes open. "Oh, sweetheart, come here. Do you want to talk about it?" I asked gently, pulling the covers on the other side of the bed open to give him space to lay down with me. I didn't even have to ask him if he wanted to lay down with me because I knew he usually had nightmares and it had become a tradition for him to sleep with me if he had nightmares.

He snuggled up to my side and I kissed his forehead. It was a little after four AM. I waited a few minutes for him to calm down.

Once he stopped sobbing, he started talking. "It was the same thing all over again. We hit the car and he screamed for my name telling me to hang on and that someone would come to help us. And then I woke up. "

Jacob was such a strong boy. He had been through so much in his life already.

After half an hour of soothing him, he was finally asleep and I was ready to do the same!

* * *

I woke up in the morning feeling rather tired even though I had slept for more than 12 hours. I'blamed' Jacob's nightmare for my tiredness, but I felt bad about it. I went to look for Jacob, only to find him on the couch watching The Simpsons.

I decided I should call my dad and talk to him about Jacob's situation.

"Hey Dad!" I greeted him.

"Good morning! Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, just like always. I have something to talk to you about."

He murmured something indecipherable, which I took as a 'go on'. "Jacob wants to come live with me. He says he doesn't like his school and that living in Forks reminds him too much of Billy and Lauren."

"Oh, yes?" He asked, not sounding surprised at all.

"Yeah Dad. Aren't you surprised?"

"Well, not really. He has been talking about you a lot lately and about how he dislikes his friends. I kind of figured out the puzzle a couple weeks ago. And before you ask, I didn't tell you anything because I wasn't sure. Plus, that is between you and Jacob."

What the hell? "No Dad, this is between you, me and Jacob." I argued. "So what do you think about this situation?"

"I-I don't know, Bells. Would you be happy to have Jacob living with you? I'm fine with him living with you as long as I get to see him often." He said, relaxed.

"Dad, can we talk about this tomorrow? I just called because I have an interview today and I have to ask Mrs. Weber if she can be a live-in maid. I need someone to be with him while I'm going out, at night." I asked.

"Yeah, this is important. We should do it when we're together. Just think about it, kiddo. I love you".

"I love you Dad." I hung up the phone.

* * *

The rest of the morning went by slowly, with me being extremely anxious and Jacob being lazy to do any homework.

It was precisely 1:50 PM when Mrs. Weber knocked. I went to open it while trying to control my breaths.

To my surprise, Mrs. Weber was very short, probably 5'1" and she was…a little chubby. She was pretty, though and she looked younger than fifty-five years old. Although her wrinkles were existent, they made her somehow prettier. I wanted to look like her when I was older.

I sat down on the couch with her for a while, making small conversation, trying to get to know the person I was dealing with. I learned she wanted to work to pass the time and that apparently her retirement was enough for her to live. I showed her the house; giving small impressions of what she would have to do if I hired her, studying her face every time I said something just in case she pulled a face. I wasn't trying to be a bitch, I just wanted to see her flaws, in terms of things she could do or could not do, because of her health and also it was a way to help me decide.

As she was getting ready to leave, I remembered Jacob's situation.

"Can I talk to you about something before you go? I'm so sorry but I have one last question."

She nodded and came to sit next to me on the couch.

"My nephew Jacob is going to start living with me in the next month or so and I work a lot and I will most likely need a live-in maid." I said trying to hide my concern. "I know this sound rushed but we've just recently made that decision." I quickly added, sounding rather calm.

And that was when she grimaced. She tried to hide it right away, but I was too good an observer.

"Oh, I'm so very sorry but I can't do that." She said sadly. "I have grandsons to take care of and also my husband needs my help."

"But I can work from eight AM till five PM every day, except on Sundays." She added softly.

Oh, shit. What am I going to answer? "Oh, yes, I understand. I just want to start another part of my life and to have a live-in maid and nanny would be helpful." I didn't want to tell her I wanted to start dating and going out because I wanted to have a family, yet. I was very reserved and I didn't like to share my personal life with strangers.

She didn't answer. I sighed.

"I guess that's everything. Thank you so much for coming. I will contact you as soon as I make a decision." I told her.

I opened the door she thanked me and left.

I didn't know what to think. Yes, she was rather nice and lovely. But she couldn't live here with us, and that was important for both me and Jacob. I didn't want him to feel left out, but I needed to move on with my life.

The rest of the day went by really fast. After dinner, I talked to Jacob about Mrs. Weber. He thought she was nice. He hadn't said anything to her apart from 'Hello!' while I was showing her his bedroom.

We stayed up 'late' that night, watching Gnomeo and Juliet. It was a quarter to eleven PM when I went to put Jacob in bed. Unfortunately, he fell asleep before the movie ended. Too bad. That movie was hilarious. Who says kids' movies aren't fun?

* * *

The next morning he slept way better than the night before, so he wanted to finish watching Gnomeo and Juliet. I left him in my bedroom watching it while I was working in the study.

I wasn't as nervous for my meeting with Edward Cullen as I was for Mrs. Weber's. I was feeling a little more confident and even though he was man, I didn't care. Even if he had to move in with us, it would be fine.

By the time I looked at the clock, it was almost three PM so I went to change from the sweatpants I had put on earlier to my favorite pair of jeans and my Beatles shirt. I really loved it because it was very different from the band t-shirts I used to wear in my teen years. It was good fit and it suited me, thankfully.

Just as I was putting my belt on, I heard the doorbell ring. The clock read 3PM precisely. I went to answer the door, so not expecting what I saw.

He was very good-looking. He was probably over six feet tall. He was lean, not sick-like or anything like that, though. He had short untamed auburn hair, almost bronze. His eyes were emerald green and his lashes were long. He had hairy eyebrows; however, they looked good on him.

"Hello. I'm Edward Cullen." He said in a velvety voice, extending his hand to me.

"Isabella Swan, pleasure to meet you." I shook it. His hand was soft against mine. It felt good, like an electric shock running through my veins. He made me nervous.

"Come on in." I closed the door and gestured for him to follow me.

As soon as we sat on the couch and I made sure we were both comfortable, I started talking.

"First of all, I want you to know that I was pleased with your letter."

"Thank you." He blushed.

"I have some questions for you, so if you don't mind answering them…" I trailed off.

"Go ahead, sure."

"Before I start, I want you to know that I decided to interview the applicants because this job is important not only for me, but also for my nephew. You said in your letter that you didn't study further than the twelfth grade because of personal reasons. You don't have to tell me them, but if your problem is money I want to know what your plans are, if you're planning on working here for a long time. Don't get me wrong, but I don't want to have a maid for a couple months and then to have start looking for a new one." I tried to sound gentle.

"I'm planning on taking this job seriously. The reason why I want this is because of my mother. She has cancer and she's in the hospital. I have to pay for the hospital bill. Yes, I would like to go to college, but my mom's health is my biggest concern right now. I'm ready to work any hours." He said softly.

I could see the tears he was trying to hide. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I didn't mean to sound rude or anything a few moments ago." I tried to apologize but he waved me off.

"It's okay, don't worry." He laughed.

I could feel the atmosphere lighten, so I went on.

"Also, we've recently made the decision that Jacob, my nephew, is coming to live with me. He's five years old and even though he goes to kindergarten, I have to work. Plus, I want to go out at night and unless I have a nanny, I can't do any of those things. My question is whether you are available or not, to be a live-in maid and nanny."

"Yes." He answered right away and then blushed in embarrassment. "I mean, I have to know what I am supposed to do or not before I accept anything, but it would be helpful for me to live here, considering my situation."

"Of course." I laughed nervously.

We talked for a while about Jacob and work. He gave me his home phone number, in case I wanted to call him. I wondered why he hadn't given me his phone number, but didn't ask anything. After, I did the same I had done the day before with Mrs. Weber - showed him the house.

When we entered Jacob's bedroom, he was drawing. Edward said hello and Jacob got up to shake his hand. It was funny to see him act like a man, instead of a child. Edward asked him what he was doing and he said he was drawing me a flower.

After I had shown him everything, I told Edward I would contact with him as soon as I made a decision.

Jacob came downstairs to say good-bye and Edward high-fived him. I laughed when he did that.

I spent the rest of the afternoon with Jacob. We baked a cake and cooked dinner for when my dad arrived to pick him up. Charlie always had dinner with us on Sundays. It was our tradition.

* * *

"Hey, grandpa!" I heard Jacob say in the living room.

"Hey there! Hello, Bells!" He yelled.

"I got you some fish!" He said as he came in the kitchen.

"Can you put it in the freezer?" I asked.

He did as I said and then went to set the table. Once the roast was ready, we went to eat.

"It's really good, Bells." I was used to my dad's compliments about my food, but it was always good to hear it.

"Yes! It's really yummy!" Jacob said with his mouth full. I always scolded him, but he looked too adorable, so instead, both me and my dad laughed at Jacob.

"So Jacob…I heard you asked Bella something." Charlie started.

"Yes, I did. I asked her if I could live with her." Jacob was never ashamed to say anything, which was a good thing. "I love living with you Papa, but you know I don't like my friends and…" he trailed off.

My dad looked at me. We both knew what Jacob wanted to say, but didn't. He missed his parents and Forks made the memories stronger, which was a bad thing because he mostly remembered the bad things, like the accident.

"I know, Jake. In my opinion, if your aunt is happy to have you here with her and if you promise to visit me often, it's fine. I won't be alone. I've got Harry, Seth and Sue. What do you think, Bells?" He asked.

"I would love to have you here all the time, Jake! You know that. I just want you to be happy." Jake's smile grew bigger and bigger every time we said anything.

"Is that a yes, then?" He asked hopefully.

"I guess so." I said at the same time Charlie said 'Yes'.

We burst laughing. "Now seriously, when do you think it's the best time for him to move, Dad? We're still in the beginning on February, so we have two options. We can wait until Spring Break or we can ask for a school transfer this week. What do you want, Jacob?" Jacob wasn't old enough to make a correct decision, but I had to at least ask him what he wanted.

"I want to move here as soon as possible!" Of course he did.

Charlie offered to go to Jake's school to ask for transfer and to call a school near my house.

"I interviewed Mr. Cullen today." I said, trying to bring the maid subject up.

"Have you decided anything yet? What did you think of Mrs. Weber and Mr. Cullen?"

"Mrs. Weber was very warm and despite her age she was in great shape. When I asked her about being a live-in nanny and maid, she said she couldn't do it because of her family, which I totally understand. Mr. Cullen was very nice, talkative and honest. Plus, he is available to move in here."

"Are you comfortable with having a man living here, though?" I knew my dad was nothing but concerned with my comfort. He had always been open-minded and he trusted me enough to know that I wasn't one of those girls who had sex with someone right after meeting them.

"Yes, I mean he was very polite and humble. The reason why he wants this job is to help his mom, who's in the hospital." I answered, honestly.

"So I take it that you're choosing Edward Cullen?" He asked, guessing my decision.

"I don't know yet. I'm going to call them tomorrow, so I'll text you as soon as possible."

After dinner, my dad helped me wash the dishes while Jacob went to pack his things. We had chatted about nothing and everything this evening. I was tired.

I went to bed as soon as they left, not caring about getting my things ready for the next day.

* * *

The next morning went by slowly. There wasn't much we could do because the builders decided to start moving mine and Alice's things from my office to hers, now that hers was finally redecorated and mine was about to start. Alice was still being nice to me and talkative. Hooray!

It was now lunchtime and I had come home to pick up some notes I had forgotten. I made myself a sandwich for lunch and decided to call Mrs. Weber. I told her what I had chosen; apologizing over and over even though it was silly.

I was now calling Edward. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" His voice was melodic.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Cullen, it's Isabella Swan. I've made my decision."

I heard him inhale nervously before answering. "Yes?"

And then my phone's power went down.

* * *

**AN: This chapter was really long, wasn't it? What do you prefer: BPOV or EPOV? I'm going to explore Jacob's story later , and Edward's too. This chapter was fun to write and it kept me from studying for my Geography final, but I think I did okay. I need CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, I didn't get many reviews in this last chapter which made me kinda disappointed. I really want to know what you guys think of this story so far!**

**Thanks for reading, now go click in that REVIEW button.**


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